Sudan: A Breeding Ground for Global Moneyed Interests

Powerful interests are fanning the flames of a Sudanese civil war that will likely plunge the country into famine in a few weeks. Many are profiting greatly.

Gold smuggling helps fund the RSF’s genocidal campaign. Image source

Sudan, now over one year into a devastating civil war, sits at the edge of an even greater catastrophe. At al Lait refugee camp north of Darfur, residents have resorted to eating dirt as thousands flee to the area to escape fighting amid a new regional ethnic cleansing campaign by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the RSF's chief rival, also stands accused of widespread abuse against Sudan's civilian population. These abuses by both sides have caused an estimated 4.4 million Sudanese to flee their homes, causing domestic food production to plummet and over 20 million people not to know where their next meal will come from. Sudan will likely slip into an official famine by next month, killing an estimated half a million people, according to the Dutch think tank, Clingendael Institute. 

Although far removed from international headlines, the warring factions of Sudan's bloody civil war do not fight alone. Instead, Sudan is host to many competing military and financial interests, each with a stake in the outcome of this war and ensuring its prolongation. 

A boy overlooks a refugee camp near the Chadian border in November, 2023. Sudan will likely soon be home to the world’s largest hunger crisis. Image source